Spring salad with aubergine & quinoa

This is a really colourful salad which is impressive for when you have guests or for yourself at home. You can take away or add different ingredients depending on what you have available or what’s in season where you live, but for me this was inspired by the colour that emerges when Spring arrives 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients

Aubergine – 1
Tomatoes – 6
Spring Onions – 4 – 6
Cucumber – 1/2
Pomegranate – approx 1 cup
Feta Cheese – 1 200g pack
Red chilli – 1 (medium hot)
Cumin – 1/2 teaspoon
Spinach – 1 pack (approx 250g)
Toasted pine nuts (or other nut of your choice) – 2 -3 tablespoons
Flat leaf parsley – a handful
Mint – a handful
Lemon – 1 (grated zest + juice)
Olive oil – about 4 – 5 tablespoons
Salt & Pepper to taste
Quinoa- 150g

Method

1. Cut Aubergine into discs 0.5cm thick and sprinkle with salt and cumin and then place on a hot griddle pan/frying pan lined with olive oil. Turn often and cook on pan until brown and softened. Keep aside.

2. Finely slice the spring onions, red chilli and cut the tomatoes and cucumber into small cubes. Mix these together in a large bowl with 1/2 teaspoon salt & pepper and keep aside.

3. Cook the quinoa and then add the cut vegetables to the cooked quinoa along with chopped parsley & mint & lemon zest & juice. Mix well, check the seasoning and place in your serving dish.

4. Dice or crumble the feta onto your quinoa tabbouleh mixture, then add the aubergine and toasted pine nuts. Finally strew the pomegranate over the top and serve.